Population: strength or weakness

Population: strength or weakness

“Population is strength of the nation, but it is weakness when it is beyond manageable limit.” This question is most relevant for India, especially in the time, when a Pandemic diseases like COVID -19 attacks. Current status shows that India’s population is over 136 crore and by 2024 it will be over 144 crores. Its current population growth rate shows trend of steady decline in many states from earlier status. But even if current growth rate is maintained it may overtake the China by within a decade from now.

India’s first population policy was comprehensively declared on the 16^th April, 1976. In that policy state Governments were allowed to enact legislative measures regarding compulsory sterilization. Indians were against that policy of compulsory sterilization, but that was the beginning step of bringing awareness among Indian mass. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India earmarked for Plan and a Research and Programme Committee appointed by the centre. (a) Socio-economic and cultural studies (b) Biological and qualitative aspects, were two major sub-committees constituted within that main committee. In 1977 the policy was revised and renamed as Family Welfare Policy. Family planning had some compulsory guidelines but Family Welfare emphasized on awareness, health, economy and reducing or controlling birth and fertility voluntarily.  In that policy the age of marriage for girls was raised from 15 to 18 years of age and for boys it was raised from 18 to 21 years of age. Registration of marriage was suggested to be made compulsory, though it has not reached total success till today.

On the 15^th February, 2000 the Government of India chalked out New Population Policy (NPP) aiming at to achieve Zero Growth of population by 2045. It included reducing (a) infant mortality rate, (b) maternal motility rate (c) birth rates (d) total fertility rate. New Population Policy extended its hands to tackle manifold issues with regard to the welfare of the population. National Commission on Population headed by the Prime Minister and its State level Commissions headed by Chief Ministers were two major bodies, which were supposed to contemplate the implementing policy through Panchayat, Municipality and Non Governmental public organizations. Compulsory registration of birth, death, marriage and pregnancy had been suggested to be made necessary by the states.

One of the major policies was freezing the number of seats in the Lok Sabha at the current level of 545, which is based on the 1971 census till 2026.  As per original schedule the number should have changed as per 2001 census. India in its new population policy avoided any kind of coercive policy of reducing birth rate. Compulsory sterilization or introducing any norms on number of child per couple never came as law in the policy. Empowering women for improved health and nutrition worked tremendously in bringing birth control. Free and compulsory education to every child up-to 14 years of age, universal immunization of children against all preventable diseases through vaccines or drops and promotion of delayed marriage were not direct policy approach to the birth control. But tremendous impact of these indirect policies through voluntary participation of men and women in certain sections was seen that stabilized the population growth to some extent. But in spite of consistency in policy and action the passive approach of population control the policy is yet to be realized in certain sections of Indian population. It is still explosive in rural areas of many central Indian states particularly with certain sections of society. India now need, not only awareness, but some clear cut approach towards the issue also. But laying down a coercive policy, compulsory norms and stringent law may still not be acceptable for the Indian mass. But a comprehensive, steady and dedicated programme of instilling right perceptions and meticulous followings among mass, especially in those sections, who are still contributing high growth rate of populations, is a very much need of the time today.